Dear Tiger Parents & Guardians, 4 December 2019
It’s hard to believe the semester is almost over, but the holiday break starts in just 10 days. This semester has been a whirlwind of focused, positive change for AHS. At the beginning of my tenure here as principal, I stated that my strategy for making Alamogordo High School amazing was to focus on Safety & Security, Positive Relationships & Culture, and Instructional Excellence. We have much work yet to do, but I’d like to highlight the progress we’ve made so far this year.
- Safety/Security improvements to ensure our students and staff are safe and secure include:
- New perimeter fence and security vestibule which enables us to control entry to our campus.
- RAPTOR visitor screening system is in use, allowing us to run quick background checks on visitors.
- Seven new security guards added to staff (for a total of 11), many of whom are former police officers and school resource officers.
- Upgrades to security camera system.
- Implemented Secure Campus policy where, with few exceptions, students remain on-campus for lunch.
- Recurring training for all staff on emergency procedures.
- Implemented periodic, random, unannounced contraband sweeps with Alamogordo Police Department’s Canine Unit.
- Added two instructional specialists (teacher coaches) to staff to work one-on-one with teachers to help improve instructional effectiveness.
- Principal and assistant principals perform classroom observations every day to coach teachers in their implementation of Fundamental 5, classroom management, and overall instruction.
- Educational technology is in-use in every classroom, including student Chromebooks, zSpace augmented/virtual reality labs, interactive panels, large-screen flat panel monitor, and numerous blended and virtual education software packages.
- Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs have been refined and expanded to provide students with the skills, certifications, and experience needed for high-demand, high-wage, high-skill careers in fields such as
- Health Occupations (expanded with additional teacher to meet high student demand)
- Engineering & Robotics (also expanded with additional teacher to meet high student demand)
- Agriculture/Animal Science
- Welding
- Automotive Technology
- Computer Science, Cyber Security, and Oracle Database Programming (a new program offered for the first time this year)
- Film Production
- Business Management & Marketing
- Child Development & Education
- Hospitality, Tourism, & Culinary Arts
- Added a new CTE coordinator position to manage CTE program grant funding, establish relationships with local businesses for student internships, mentorships, work experience, and college dual-credit opportunities.
- Added a new career/college counselor to our staff to help students explore career options and college scholarship opportunities.
- Added two student success teachers to help at-risk students get and remain on track for graduation.
- Positive Relationships & Culture
- New food court, including numerous menu options, food truck, coffee bar, and snack bar has been well-received by our students.
- New furniture throughout the commons, food court, hallways, and outdoors allows students to enjoy their lunch break inside or out, with friends or in a quieter environment.
- Numerous clean-ups, repairs, and refurbishments throughout the campus.
- Providing recurring training for teachers, counselors, staff, and security on establishing positive relationships, crisis prevention, and intervention, and de-escalation.
- Added a new guidance counselor to our staff and strengthened partnerships with local mental health providers to help students and families in crisis.
- Providing recurring customer service training to all support staff.
- Dedication and renaming of AHS Tiger Pit to AHS legend Lawrence E. Johnson.
- Instructional Excellence
- Teachers have been provided professional development and training to improve their craft, including:
- The author of “Fundamental 5—The Formula for Quality Instruction” has provided two sessions of training (with more to come next semester) on five research-based principles of instruction that lead to increased student achievement in all subject areas,
- Author and math instructional consultant, Leslie Texas, has provided our math teachers training on instructional practices specific to common core mathematics,
- Teachers have received multiple training sessions of Individualized Education Plans, lesson planning, classroom management, and effective use of educational technology.
These are just a few of our accomplishments so far on our path of student-focused continuous improvement. Next semester, one area of emphasis for Positive Relationships & Culture will be on establishing and improving relationships with parents and the community through improved communications. We want all of our students to graduate in four years, career and/or college ready, and parents and students to be proud of the fact that they GET to be Tigers!
Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season,
Kenneth R. Moore, Ed.D.
Principal
Alamogordo High School
I GET to be a Tiger!
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